Andy and Paula had reached their fundraising goal. Their passion for front-line global missions was contagious and had caused an excitement for reaching the nations to infect the whole church. The date was set, the plane tickets for their family of five were purchased, and travel plans were setting like concrete. Years of preparation were coming to fruition. A Commission Service and Reception were planned for Saturday, their oldest son’s baptism was planned for Sunday, and this family of five would fly out of Logan Airport on Monday to the mission field. Then half them came down with influenza.
I received a call from another member, James, who struggled with alcoholism for as long as I’ve known him. His faith was genuine but raw. I had baptized him just a few years prior. He would go stretches dry and sober, but would inevitably fall off the wagon. Since learning he was slowly dying of prostate cancer, his drinking accelerated. As much as I sought to hold him ac…